Translation for Spanish words used in this chapter—

fútbol — football
Cojones — balls/bullocks
Exquisito — exquisite

-

Jeon Jungkook, after staying a couple of days in the Alvarez household, realised that he'd never met a family so unnaturally friendly.

He'd doubted if he'd even call them a family. A nation's worth of men, women and children all cooped up in a lavish estate sounded better.

But they were all so close. Like a knitted sweater, each stitch a family member looped with another, with Tía Maria in the center, the strongest stitch to tie the entire household together.

There was this dilemma with the old woman, that wherever he went he'd feel his eyes on her. It didn't scare him, but just put him on a strange edge. It also didn't help how she'd always mutter, "So, so familiar," under her breath every time he walked past her.

Overall, it was great. And although this situation is beyond corny, Jungkook was fascinated by this revelation. He'd never been in love with his own family, especially with someone as emotionless as his father. The nurse had started the pure emotion within him, which was why he cared enough to not be a spoiled brat in front of her.

Other than that, he'd never really seen families so happy together. Jin and his sister were close, but their parents were too aristocratic. It was the same with all his wealthy friends.

Jimin...his father, again, wasn't so close with him either. The grim similarities of these rich, isolated families was what started this bond that the two boys upheld for over ten years.

Jungkook looked up at Aeri, who was too busy preparing the big lunch among her cousins, lips refusing to frown underneath this roof.

A friendship of a decade, torn apart by a single woman.

His brows furrowed.

Were we really this fragile?

"Jungkook!"

The boy perked up with a start, seeing Taehyung stride up to him. "Ay, what's wrong?"

"'What's wrong'?" The brown haired boy repeated, tossing one of his thin scarf tails over his shoulder. Jungkook had to admit, he'd really glowed up in his attire in arriving in Granada. "What's wrong is, we're all starting up a football game, and you're not joining in?"

"Football game?"

"Oh dear, don't tell me you're too rich to know a simple sport," Taehyung drawled, fixing his white over shirt, edged with a gorgeous blue, leaves of the same colour scattering over the fabric.

"No, no, I know what football is," Jungkook said. "Jimin and I played it a lot when we weren't fucking around."

A corner of the boy's lips curved menacingly. "Literally."

"Oh, you're disgusting," Taehyung rebuked, but his answering smirk suggested otherwise.

He then saw Jungkook's eyes stray away from him, back to his point of interest. At this time, she was listening to the twins whispering in both her ears, giggling along with the children.

The peasant grinned even more devilishly. Although his stare was on his boss he called out, "Oh, Jungkooooooook! Stop staring so rudely at Aeri and play a match!"

In an instant Aeri stopped paying attention to the twins and set her sights on the two boys, one avoiding her gaze and instantly running off while the other laughed at his embarrassment.

Jungkook cursed under his breath, feeling the cool breeze kiss his face as he went outside from the entrance.

Taehyung, chuckling still, quickly called for the boy as he caught up with him, slinging a firm arm around his shoulder.

"Daww, amigo, don't be cross! I was just fooling around," he sniggered. "You know, your Aeri to give you attention—"

"Oh, don't say that," Jungkook muttered, quickly glancing back to see the girl mentioned gone inside the kitchens once more.

Eloísa and Elodia, however, were right there still, smiling silly and wiggling their fingers to bid goodbye.

The boy instantly looked forward again, that damned blush burning up.

"Stop acting so cowardly, Kook," Taehyung teased, turning his boss to a sharp right where Aeri's cousins were hanging around, waiting for their prima's best friend and the stranger to accompany them on their game.

As they approached the group, the cousins all lit up on seeing the pair. "Hombres, let's go! The field is empty!"

The boys all ran to the freshly cut lawn spread vastly across the half-busy roads of Granada, the younger paying respects to the elders, and a few shouting greetings to familiar passing by.

Jungkook put his arms around himself, inspecting the scene around him. There were a pair of white poles struck under the ground, quite a few meters apart to show the goal space. The same was done at the opposite end of the pitch, as he turned his head, the soft curls of wind teasing his hair to its rhythm.

Taehyung looked back at him, gesturing him to get a move on. Picking up the pace, the boy caught up with the gang, the tallest and oldest of the ten holding the dirtied ball in his hands.

"Jungkook, is it?" Bruno asked, an almost spokesman for the cousins. "You do know how to play fútbol, right?"

"Si, si, doesn't everyone?" was his reply.

Bruno grinned, spinning the ball. "That's what we like," he mused. He then focused on the whole group. "Now, there's twelve of us here, so let's split in half."

Four of the Alvarez cousins joined Jungkook and Taehyung, the rest staying close with Bruno, who walked up to the chalked circle and put the ball on its edge, gesturing for one of his teammates to stand opposite him to start the game.

Taehyung ran to the white poles, settling himself between the two as he stretched his arms and legs, preparing himself for saving some serious shootouts.

Jungkook, after returning his thumbs up, looked towards the teammate standing focused next to him. Ciro, was it—?

The black haired boy, probably nineteen, gave him a toothy smile, a small gap between his front teeth making him seem even more precious. Jungkook could not help but smile back.

"Ready, everyone?" Bruno called out. After hearing the cheers, he nodded at his partner.

As soon as he passed the ball to him, it was chaos.

If these Alvarez men had to play professionally, they'd all get kicked out on the first match. Because these people may be all gentleman but the instant the ball got dropped in their equation, they all turned into brutes. Absolute animals.

Jungkook barely had time to breathe before he saw Bruno storm past him with the ball, already near Taehyung.

The peasant jumped to save the ball, but in vain as it shot straight through the space, earning their first goal in a matter of seconds.

The boy scoffed. Ah cojones.

Taehyung, upon seeing their victory, shook off his scarf, tossing it upon the grass. "Don't be so big-headed yet, asshole, it's just one goal!"

His reply was the cheeky finger, Bruno tossing the ball to the stranger amongst this group.

Jungkook caught it in an instant, looking at the buzz-cut head, the white vest, and that lazy arrogance.

The Granadian smirked. "Your turn."

Come on, Jeon, don't be such a coward. You're a good player too.

Mustering up a mock salute, Jungkook progressed up to the circle, Ciro already there to accept the ball.

Putting it upon the ground, he asked him, "Ready?"

The boy nodded. Returning it, Jungkook took one look at their goal stand.

And passed the ball to Ciro.

The coal-haired boy dashed off towards their target in an instant, Jungkook right beside him spaced out just in case the opposing team tried to act sneaky.

Just as the boy thought, one of the guys adorning a huge afro tried to grab for the ball but his tackle was too ill-timed, causing Ciro to carry on with a simple dribble away from the man.

He carried on until the edge of the goal rim, where he, seeing the goalie too occupied with him, passed unexpectedly to Jungkook.

The boy, put off, did not catch it, instead being held in the feet of another Alvarez cousin, near chocolate brown with his tan and running with the ball as if his life depended on it.

Cursing under his breath, Jungkook sprinted after him, arms swinging to boost his speed, to get that ball—

The man nearly swung it straight for the goal.

But thank Dios, Jungkook was fast enough to slide on the grass, his feet kicking the ball away from the attacker.

Quickly he lunged upward to grab hold of the ball, but realising another member of his team had took hold, started the opposite way towards his first half victory.

The boy, only fourteen, did not have the strength to try and dribble from Bruno's brother, Fabio, and so passed the possession to Jungkook.

And boy, was that a good decision.

Because it seemed luck decided to pity him.

Jungkook, with remarkable agility, dodged both tackles before he jumped over another, the ball still in the air as it thumped along with its holder, the boy going faster and faster with the speed of a cheetah.

A grin worked its way up his face, looking at the goal with a sheer determination, a certain wilderness that had the very marrow of his bones burning at the sensation.

He was near, so very near, and suddenly he was in the rim with his opponents shouting to stop this madman! But Jungkook doesn't hear them because he brings his leg back and swings his hardest towards the goal.

"SCORE!"

Taehyung's scream howled across the fields, cackling at his boss' achievement. "Yesss, Jungkook got y'all by the balls!"

The boy could only laugh at his over-excitement.

He heard loud clapping, and with a start turned to see the girls arriving, with a huge picnic basket, carried by Gabriella who glared at the two twins causing the commotion.

"Oh my, so good—!"

"Exquisito, exquisito—!"

Among the crowd, after straining his eyes, he saw Aeri, arms crossed as she stared right back at him with a certain look in her eyes which had him shaking.

Quickly he looked away, and went up to the center once again, giving the ball to afro-man and starting up the game once again.

Soon, with such tight competition between both teams, the match concluded to the penalties.

"Ah shit," Taehyung guttered. "I fucking hate penalties. They always get me nervous for some reason."

"Don't worry, you'll do just fine," Jungkook assured him.

And again, with the same strengths and weaknesses, every guy scored a penalty and missed one.

Jungkook felt himself getting higher in spirits. He'd not missed a penalty, and now that it was his turn, he was certain to not disappoint himself or his team.

He saw the goalie in front of him, bending his knees, hands out to grab the ball.

Eyes on the goal, Jeon, eyes on the goal—

They strayed though, to a certain girl with her nails imprisoned between her teeth, her own eyes focused on the goal.

A traitorous shot of pomposity fired up within him as he pointed to her. "This one's for you!"

He didn't see her reaction as he started running, swung his leg back and kicked the ball with all his might.

To his utmost horror, the ball flew somewhere else entirely

It swung above the whole goal post, hitting the bushes behind. The crunch! Of the ripe leaves had the boy flinching from the sound.

Behind him, Taehyung burst out laughing.

Jungkook whirled around with an embarrassed ferocity, glaring at him. "Oh, shut it, culo!"

But he just couldn't because who gives a fuck that they lost?! Just Jungkook making a pledge and breaking that completely was too amusing for that damned peasant.

Oh, poor playboy couldn't even dare to look at his amor without wanting to throw himself in the bushes.

His ear tuned in to a slow, loud clapping, and with that he glanced upward to see none other than Aeri Alvarez, tapping her hands with the most unhurried motion, the most amusing expression playing her face.

Fuck that poor, poor, boy, because all he could do was turn as red as Taehyung's blood he wanted to spill cause he just wouldn't stop laughing, motherfucker!

"Good game, amigo," Bruno offered, but even he had a feline grin as he shook his hand.

"Fantastic wasn't it," Jungkook muttered, causing all the others to laugh even more.

Hey, at least making a fool of myself got some good laughs.

Then he looked to his friend, still on the damn grass like a freak.

Let's wonder when the laughs are actually going to stop.

-

After twenty minutes of Taehyung's complete breakdown, he finally calmed down, sniggering only when he looked Jungkook in the eye and became unable to control himself.

Still pissed off boy tried to give him the biggest smack, but the peasant, with his unfortunate amazing agility, dodged him every time.

Bastard, I'll get him next time.

But of course, the sun, a Spaniard's best friend, never stays for long, so leaves its friends to be alone for half the day, instead urging the more apprehensive moon to go out in its stead.

The moon, however shy, is still warmly welcomed; by the stars, the night sky and the people dwelling beneath.

One of these people was Jungkook, who, with Tía's permission, got on the top of the flat part of the roof, where a few plants lived, along with woven webbing beds, light yet incredibly strong.

Seeing one of those beds, he dragged one where he saw a perfect view of the moon, and carefully laid upon the bed, one leg bent and the other splayed out, hands behind his head to rest it.

Jungkook breathed in the night air, like engulfing little droplets of frost. It wasn't painful, but a little irritable.

He did not mind it this night, though. He wished to be alone. Not too long — just a bit — to clear his thoughts, to just enjoy the isolation.

It would be a lie if he declared that he hated that football match. He didn't at all; in fact, was hoping he'd be able to have another kickoff after the fiesta.

Of course, the conclusion to it all was incredibly embarrassing.

He debated whether to even talk to Aeri ever again. He knew he'd never hear the end of it. Mierda, just looking at her would have him blushing like a little girl approaching her crush for the first time.

"You found my hideout."

With a start, Jungkook turned—

"Oh Jesus—"

The boy bolted upward to see the very girl he was ashamed to even look in the eye.

She noticed his stiff nature, giggling. Oh, she giggled. "Why the blush on your cheeks, Jungkook? It's freezing outside."

His hand involuntarily slapped against his cheek. It was on fire.

Fumbling for the words, anything that could come in head, he asked, "Hideout?"

The girl stepped closer, and there it was, his heart, usually so bashful and daring cowering away with its beats soaring like an eagle at its prey.

She went around him, sitting at the front of the woven bed, right on the edges. Jungkook took care that she didn't get touched by his boots.

"I always came here whenever I wanted to be alone." She brought her knees up to her chest, enveloping her petite arms around them. "Whenever the world felt too big, or I too small."

He could only see her back, the lace ties all intertwined so accurately it was like an artwork manipulated upon her skin.

There was a temptation to remove the ties. He could do it — with one brush of his finger spiralling downwards, he could untie all these frilly laces, and uncover her bare for him and the stars.

But he resisted. Resisted to for the sake of not being a manwhore for once in his life.

"I..." he started, trying hard to dampen his sudden need for Aeri's lips on his. "I, uh, felt embarrassed over the whole p-penalty situation."

Aeri's body shook softly as she chuckled. "That was a little embarrassing." She looked over her shoulder. "But come on, hombre, you scored a lot that time."

"I know, but it still didn't help how I mentioned you into it," Jungkook muttered, looking away into the stars.

"You know," the girl mused, "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't think you were going to hit it anyway."

That's when Jungkook sat up. "Hey!"

But his irritancy flew out his arse cause again, he felt his shoulder caress against Aeri's, knees slightly touching.

She was silent, head tilted upwards to admire the night. The moon decided to be more brave tonight, and exposed its full self upon them.

Aeri sighed out. "It's beautiful."

Jungkook glanced at her, gripping the frame of the bed. "What?"

"The moon. The stars. Everything, really."

To see her point, he looked up with her. The stars, they twinkled, but with a certain anger which didn't really put the boy at peace. It was as if they raged against the gentle night, angered the very orb of light which dared to reveal itself every lunar month.

But then Jungkook looked at Aeri, and his heart stopped beating. Because Aeri was twinkling, and not the bitter twinkling but a fierce scattering of moonlight upon her skin which had the girl glowing.

And fuck, Jungkook realised the reason behind the enraged nature of these celestial bodies, why they shimmered with such anger.

"You make the stars jealous, mi amor."

Aeri hitched in a breath in surprise, after being used to the silence. "Huh?"

He slipped his fingers around her hand, holding it higher for her to see. The very pads of her fingers gleamed with moonlight.

"See?" He murmured, daring to caress his thumb against her palm. "You're glowing."

The boy felt her heartbeat quicken, with his hands touching a part of her wrist, racing until she too felt herself burn.

He had the audacity to smile at her reaction.

Turning his head to the stars, still furious, he looked back, eyes darting everywhere on her face. "Do you not see, mi amor?

"They envy your light."

And just like that, Aeri could feel the blush on her cheeks, brightening up even in the moon's light.

Those damned fingers of his, stroking her skin as if he's touching liquid light in her palms.

"Ah," he whispered, not leaving her eyes, "You truly a thief, are you not?"

"H-how so?" Aeri got out, surprised she could even form words in such a situation.

The boy leaned back into the woven webbing, going back into his original position. His one hand rested on hers still, it tugging her down with him.

She, so wrapped up in the cocoon of Jungkook's discovery, let herself be guided to him, shifting next to him.

"First, you steal my attention," the boy started, closing his eyes, "Then you stole my lips and threw them back in a different state, and now you steal from the stars and leave them restless, just like me and your countless other victims.

"Tell me, mi amor, what possession of mine do you plan to steal next?"

Jungkook opened his eyes, pinning them on Aeri. She laid there rooted to the spot, mind blank for the first time in her life.

For once, she did not know what to say to the man she so supposedly despised.

So she stayed silent, hands curled on her stomach, looking up at her apparent victims.

After a while, Jungkook scoffed. "So you want to keep it a secret, eh?"

His fingers finally slithered from her wrist, going upwards behind his head. "Maybe your next heist will lead to my demise."

He smiled menacingly under the moon. "I don't know whether to be scared or excited."

And when he uttered those words, he kept quiet, sleep too sweet to his senses to further initiate conversation.

Aeri, she was wide awake.

Shifted to the side to see his profile; a dark mess of hair, long lashes tickling his cheeks, round nose and ever-teasing mouth.

She looked at her hand once more. Just as he said, it was twinkling still, as if what shimmered lay underneath her skin.

And with one last look which Jungkook wished he would have seen awake, she silently cursed.

"Oh, bastardo. Look what you've done."

-

[ UNEDITED ]

Hey guys!

Guess who finished this update at 4:30 am lmao love not sleeping 😔✊🏼

But y'all I've come to a conclusion we've got just over ten chapters left omFG IM SHAKING—

Anyway, please do leave a vote and tell me what y'all thought about this chap cause this part was harder to write than usual 🖤